I remember the day I found out – the hurt, the pain, the disbelief – but most of all the betrayal.  I’d never had any reason not to believe or trust one of my close friends, but nearly everything had been a sham – ring any bells?

I’m opening this blog with a subject that is very close to my heart – trust.  If you have been in Second Life long enough you will know exactly where I am coming from.  If not you are either pretty new to sl, or really haven’t got into it.  Second Life is many things but above all else connecting with people is its heart.

It is hard not to make connections as you wander through the metaverse.  Friendship is offered, accepted and before you know it you have a long list of friends.  Some you will never speak to again, some only occasionally but a core of people will become staples in your daily life inworld, whether as friends, bfs or gfs.  People who you can’t imagine being without – as important to you as people in real life.

But just how much can you trust anyone in the metaverse?  Not only that – should you?

Some people I have met in sl, although few and far between, I have known immediately that I could trust them and have been right.  Those people have become some of my closest friends.  But more often it is not so easy, and once you have been hurt it is nigh impossible to take anyone at face value again.  Nothing spoils the sl experience more than whilst chatting with someone new you’re wondering just how much of what they are telling you is true.

So what’s the answer?  Not to get too close to anyone?  Lots of people say they are in sl just for fun but you still end up meeting people and making connections – it is impossible not to, and if you don’t want to meet anyone at all what the hell are you doing in sl?

This is the lightest of touches on this subject and I predict it will be a thread running through this blog – hence the Part 1.  There is lots more to come in the future.